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Q&A ViewAttendees 9

Member Symposium

Celebrating Entomological Diversity While Advancing the Management of Invasive Species

The role of microbes and genetics in managing invasive insects

Sunday, October 31, 2021
8:20 AM – 8:35 AM MT
Location: Colorado Convention Center, Meeting Room 108-110
In-Person
How aphids interact with antagonists (natural enemies) and potential mutualists (ants) is important as these interactions can impact the feasibility of biological pest control. One recent and invasive pest of grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor, is Melanaphis sorghi. Understanding this pest’s ecology in the grain sorghum agroecosystem is critical to developing aphid control strategies. Consequently, this study assessed M. sorghi interactions with a common parasitoid (Aphelinus nigritus) to assess the practicality of M. sorghi biocontrol. Since parasitoids often use aphid honeydew as a sugar resource, M. sorghi honeydew was first assessed as a potential attractant to A. nigritus. As M. sorghi feeds on grain sorghum and the nearby overwintering host Johnson grass, Sorghum halepense, A. nigritus preference for M. sorghi honeydew produced on either host plant was also assessed. Ultimately, A. nigritus was attracted to M. sorghi honeydew and preferred honeydew produced on Johnson grass, which could support the augmentation of this parasitoid in Johnson grass to suppress M. sorghi before grain sorghum is planted.